English Class 10 - X CBSE SR 9 - Bholi Material

Introduction

Bholi is a story written by K.A. Abbas. The story revolves around a girl who due to an accidental fall and disease in her childhood faces the problem of being dull and ugly. She is always a target by everyone for not being good-looking and intelligent.

Summary

‘Bholi’ is the story of Sulekha, the seventh child of Numberdar Ramlal. She was called Bholi (a  simpleton). She was a bit mentally backward and physically deformed. Former, due to the fall she had when she was ten months old, and latter as her whole body, except her eyes were covered by black pockmarks.

Bholi did not speak till she was five years old and when she began to speak, she stammered. No one at home took care of her, loved her, or talked to her lovingly. Her siblings mimicked her and laughed at her when she stammered. So she stopped talking. 

No one, not even her parents bothered about her. They were busy sending their sons to schools and colleges in the city and getting their other daughters married.

Bholi’s fate changed when a new school for girls started in the village. The Tehsildar, who came to inaugurate the school asked Mr. Ramlal to send his daughters to school. Ramlal consulted his wife and she thoroughly refused as she feared that no one would marry a girl who had been to school. Ramlal found himself in a tight spot as he could not be disobedient to the Tehsildar and at the same time, he knew that his wife was correct.

Finally, his wife suggested that they would send Bholi to school as there was no chance of her getting married with her lack of sense and ugly face.

When Bholi’s father told her that he was taking her to school, Bholi refused to go with him as she remembered their cow Lakshmi which was sold and never returned home. She feared that she too was going to be sent out of home.

When she was bathed, oil was applied to her matted hair, and she was given a better dress ( not new but a shrunk dress of her sister Champa) to wear, she began to feel that school was a better place than her home. 

At school, she found many girls of her age, and a hope that she might get a friend there crept into her heart.

She was asked to sit in a classroom where a lady teacher was there. She sat in the class but could not understand what was taught and hence began to look at the walls where there were many pictures. When she was asked what her name was, she stammered. She felt sad and tears rolled down her cheeks. She sat with her head bowed in a corner where she sat even after the bell was given and all the other children left.

She looked up when the teacher called her in a soft voice and encouraged her to say her name. Bholi tried hard as she did not want to disappoint the teacher with such a loving, kind, and soft voice for no one had spoken to her so tenderly earlier. She felt jubilant when, finally, she said her name. The teacher gave her a book, asked her to come to school daily, and promised to make her a respectable person if she went to school daily. 

Time passed and many changes happened in the village. A marriage proposal came for Bholi. Her father was a bit hesitant in accepting the proposal as the groom, Bhishamber Nath was a widower with grown-up children. But his wife insisted on agreeing as the groom was a rich grocer with a lot of money, a shop,  and a big house. The main attraction for her was that he was not asking for a dowry. Further, In her opinion, he had come up with the proposal as he did not know about her lack of sense and pockmarks. She discouraged Ramlal from asking Bholi’s opinion saying that she was a witless, dumb cow. Bholi was listening to her parents’ whispered conversation.

On the marriage day, Bhishamber Nath came with all pomp and show. Bholi’s sisters were jealous of her and her father was very happy as he never expected such a grand wedding for his fourth daughter.

When the veil was pulled down from Bholi’s face, Bhishamber Nath noticed the pockmarks and declared that he would marry her only if her father gave him five thousand rupees. Bholi watched how her father put his turban, his honour, at Bhishamber’s feet, pleaded to reduce the amount to two thousand rupees and finally put five thousand rupees at the groom’s feet to get his daughter married and to keep up the honour of his family. She threw the garland into the fire and declared that she would not marry such a mean, greedy, old, lame and contemptible fellow. No words of appeal to her father and mockery of the guests could change her decision.

When all left, Ramlal in great pain asked her what he would do with her and she replied that she would work in the same school where she learned and look after her parents in their old age. The lesson throws light on the need for educating and empowering women and questioning social evils like dowry and gender discrimination.

Bholi forever shall remain in our memory as a flame that would have been put out but for the timely interference of the teacher.

Theme

The major theme of the story Bholi is the impact of family on children. Bholi is a little girl who fails to develop self-confidence because of her parents' attitude towards her. The story hints at why family support and emotional security are essential for proper child development. Also, disabled children must be given encouragement, love and, education like their normal counterparts.

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